My easy biscuit recipe turns out flaky, golden, and absolutely delicious. I use just 6 ingredients to create biscuits my family eats over and over again!
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My Favorite Recipe for the Best Biscuits
I first created this easy biscuit recipe when I was making a casserole in the oven and found out my parents were stopping over. I wanted to make something else to go along with my casserole, but I couldn’t get to the store with the oven on.
I looked around my pantry and decided to whip up some homemade biscuits. I wasn’t sure how they would turn out, but they ended up being perfect! My dad asked me what brand of rolls we used because they tasted different — and better — than Pillsbury.
I do love a good Pillsbury biscuit, but these just taste so much more fresh with better ingredients.
Since then, these biscuits have been a staple at my house. They’re so much easier to just make instead of planning my whole week around if my bread and rolls won’t be stale by the time we make certain dishes.
And, if you love a good side for dinner, try my air fryer garlic bread, creamed corn, garlic cheese bread, air fryer bread, and grape salad.
Easy Biscuit Recipe Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Sugar
- Butter
- Milk — I also use buttermilk when I have it on hand
How to Make Homemade Biscuits
A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.
STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
STEP TWO: In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Set it aside.
STEP THREE: Cut the butter into pea size pieces. Alternatively, you can grate it on a cheese grater or cut it up in a food processor.
STEP FOUR: Add the butter to the flour, using a fork or a pastry cutter to incorporate the butter until completely covered in flour and crumbly in the dough.
STEP FIVE: Slowly add the milk and stir until a soft dough forms.
STEP SIX: On a floured surface, place the dough and knead for 20-30 seconds. If it is sticky, add more flour to the dough and your hands. Use your hand or rolling pin to roll the dough out to a ½ inch thick.
STEP SEVEN: Use a biscuit cutter and cut the biscuits. Place them on the parchment paper.
STEP EIGHT: Roll the remaining dough and roll again to get as many biscuits as possible.
STEP NINE: Bake for 10-13 minutes, until golden brown.
Tips for This Homemade Biscuits Recipe
- Keep the butter cold to ensure this biscuit recipe turns out golden brown with flaky layers. I’ve found that warm butter spreads and prevents the biscuits from rising.
- Use parchment paper for easy removal. I use this every time I make them.
- If the dough is too sticky, I sprinkle more flour onto the dough or my hands to make it easier to work with.
- Avoid overworking the dough,. I’ve overworked it before and it can make the butter melt and result in tough biscuits that don’t fully rise.
- Bake the biscuits close together to help them rise even more.
- Store leftover biscuits in an airtight container to keep them fresh for up to 5 days. I pop them in the microwave or oven to reheat!
Variations and Substitutions for This Easy Biscuit Recipe
- For a buttermilk biscuit recipe, swap out some or all of the milk for buttermilk. I do this whenever I have leftover buttermilk in the fridge.
- Add a handful of cheese like grated cheddar or Parmesan for a little change in flavor.
- Incorporate herbs like chopped parsley, chives, or rosemary into the dough before baking.
- Mix fully cooked bacon crumbles into the biscuit dough for a savory treat. My bacon loving 5-year-old loves when I do this!
- Substitute almond flour for all-purpose flour for a lower carb homemade biscuits recipe. I recommend using an extra egg to help bind the dough.
- Use salted butter instead of unsalted. When I do this, I decrease the amount of salt by just a pinch.
What to Serve with Biscuits
I love serving the flaky biscuits with my pot roast crock pot recipe, smothered pork chops with gravy, or white chicken chili. I find they work great with sopping up hearty sauces, stews, and gravy.
I’ve even made them for breakfast to eat alongside bacon with a poached egg or scrambled eggs on top!
Easy Biscuit Recipe FAQs
What is the Secret to the Best Biscuit?
Using cold butter is the key to getting fluffy, tall biscuits with that amazing flakiness we all love! I even put the butter in the freezer for a few minutes to get it extra cold before using it. If the butter melts too fast, the biscuits will spread and have a tougher texture.
Is it important to use cold butter for biscuit recipes?
Yes, using cold butter makes a huge difference for homemade biscuits! If butter warms up or reaches room temperature, it will melt faster in the oven, which causes the biscuit dough to spread instead of rise.
Easy Biscuit Recipe
Equipment
- Biscuit cutter or any round cup
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated salt
- 1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter cold
- 3/4 cup milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Set it aside.
- Prepare the butter. Butter can be cut into pea size pieces, a cheese grater can be used to grate the cheese, or it can go into a food processor.
- Add the butter to the flour. Use a fork or a pastry cutter to incorporate the butter into the flour. The butter will be completely covered in flour and will be crumbly in the dough.
- Slowly add the milk and stir until a soft dough forms.
- On a floured surface, place the dough and knead for 20-30 seconds. If it is sticky add more flour to the dough and your hands. Use your hand or rolling pin out to a ½ inch thick.
- Use a biscuit cutter and cut the biscuits. Roll the remaining dough and roll again to get as many biscuits as possible. Place them on the parchment paper.
- Bake for 10-13 minutes, until golden brown.
Notes
- It is very important that the butter be cold. A tip is to pop the butter in the freezer for 20 minutes prior to when you are ready to grate the butter.Â
- Substitute milk for buttermilk to make buttermilk biscuits.Â
- Use a round cup to cut the biscuits.
- Cooking the biscuits close together will help them rise.
Nutrition
This nutrition information is based on the exact products I used in this recipe. Brands and sizes of products could alter exact nutrition and should always be calculated independently.
